Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck receives multiple awards

London is one of the gastronomic capitals of the world, with a huge range of restaurants serving all manner of global cuisines. Among them are a number or highly prestigious fine-dining venues, with places like the Ivy and Jamie's Italian (run by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver) among the best places for a high-class bite to eat.

However, visitors to the capital may want to take a trip to the Fat Duck restaurant – which sits just outside London in Bray – after the prestigious eatery picked up numerous awards in recent weeks.

Owned and run by the charismatic Heston Blumenthal – famed for his experimental and somewhat off-the-wall recipes and edible creations – the Fat Duck is quite unlike any other dining venue in the world, offering things like ice cream made with dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide), snail porridge and a host of other weird and wonderful options.

In recognition of his culinary brilliance, Blumenthal himself has been named chef of the decade in the observer Food Monthly Awards, beating off a number of other highly esteemed cooks.

Commenting on the accolade, the chef remarked: "I am extremely proud of my team and the continuous development and energy they bring to our industry.

"It's been quite an incredible decade and I can’t wait for the next ten years," he added.

Meanwhile, the Fat Duck's sommelier Avril Loic has also picked up an award for his services, having been crowned the world's best young sommelier.

Now in its seventh year, this competition is sponsored by Chaine de Rotisseurs and attracts entries from across the world.

Loic was revealed as the winner at a presentation ceremony at the French embassy in Washington, and beat off competition from other young sommeliers from places like San Francisco and Sydney.

"It is an honour to have competed against my peers at such a prestigious competition," commented Loic.

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